The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Experts say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and with the hectic lifestyle Cairo enforces on most, people tend to skip it for just a cup of coffee, while others might only stretch as far as grabbing a croissant. One of Maadi’s latest venues, however, is trying to bring back the fun to breakfast in a quirky way.

Located on Maadi’s Street 233, the aptly named Cereal & Flakes offers, well, cereal and cornflakes, except that it provides several options with all kinds of toppings and extras. Furnished with colorful versions of the traditional wooden ahwa chairs, the venue boasts two large windows that let the sun shine right in, giving it yet another refreshing quality.

After taking our seats, we opted for a regular bowl of Cheer Up with Trixcereal (63LE) alongside a bowl of Cinnamon Disorder with Cini-Minis (63LE).

The Cheer Up had a base of Trix Fruit Pops, with strawberry milk, topped with strawberry sauce and pieces of white chocolate. With a mix of sweet and fruity flavours, the cereal was equal parts refreshing sweet. The strawberry milk tied everything together, while the white chocolate chips gave a rich aftertaste to each spoonful.

Meanwhile, the Cinnamon Disorder had a base of Cini minis – instead of the normal cinnamon flakes, as they were not available at the time of our visit – and served with honey milk, topped with cinnamon powder and mixed with some kiwi and almonds.

An explosion of cinnamon in a bowl, the dish was almost pie-esque in flavour, with the nuttiness of the almonds giving the overall flavour a deep backdrop and the kiwi cutting through it all with its sourness.

No solid breakfast would be complete without coffee and Cereal & Flakes obliges; we ordered an Espresso (12LE) and a Cappuccino (18LE) with hazelnut (6LE). Don’t expect coffee house quality; both drinks didn’t offer anything special and with the jolt of sugar from our previous bowls they basically worked as a palate cleanser for the rest of the day.

Finally, we ordered the Flake Brownie (55LE), which had a base of frosty corn flakes, topped with small pieces of brownies, a scoop of vanilla ice cream and some chocolate sauce, along with some milk on the side.

This one was a bit harder to get into compared to the rest, as once the milk was added and we made our way to the cereal, it became soggy, so when eating it, we recommend eating the ice-cream with the rest of the ingredients for the best result.

Overall, Cereals & Flakes does what it promises and adds a quirky touch to the idea of breakfasting out; however, our biggest concern is the prices. For all the different types of cereals and options – some of which are imported – one can’t help, but wince at paying at least 50LE for what is the most basic of breakfast options. So, this might be just a once a month affair.